Coccia, Rosa Maria 06/04/1759 - 11/21/1833

Maria Rosa Coccia was a Roman composer at the time of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and appeared in Rome at the same time as him as a child prodigy. The description of her abilities is similar to that of the young Mozart. In 1774, she qualified as Maestra Compositora and Maestra di Capella romana, which is unique for a woman in Roman history.
In 1779, after some back and forth, the composer was accepted as a member of the ''Accademia filarmonica di Bologna''. Together with Marianna von Martines, she was one of the only women in this male society.

Her oeuvre must have been considerable, as she spent her life "composing and teaching" ("componendo ed ammaestrando"), as she herself wrote, and also supported her parents and siblings. The whereabouts of most of her compositions are unknown today.